If you’re like this writer, you pine for the long-ago days when walking into a bar only carried the risk of embarrassing inebriation and possibly violent confrontation, not a viral infection that could leave any of us on gasping on life support. We all wish things were normal.
While the coronavirus hasn’t cleared out, you wouldn’t know that looking at Hyundai’s U.S. sales tally for July. The automaker raised eyebrows and bucked the industry trend by posting a year-over year gain last month.
A bright spot in the automotive landscape following months of fiscal and human carnage, Hyundai’s July sales sheet reveals a 1-percent YoY gain, with retail sales up 4 percent. And, much like last year, the brand’s buoyancy was the result of new crossovers, not cars.
For the month, year-over-year fleet sales fell 32 percent, for obvious reasons. Crossovers now make up 67 percent of Hyundai’s sales volume, and the number of those sold was up 16 percent over the same month last year. Thank the popular Palisade and new Venue small CUV for the additional volume. The range-topping Palisade (which, helpfully, was just coming online last July) was the third-best selling Hyundai last month, narrowly beat by the Santa Fe and Tucson.
The subcompact Kona saw its sales climb 11 percent, year over year. Santa Fe volume was only behind July 2019’s tally by about 350 units, while the little Venue added 1,620 units to the ledger. Interestingly, the new-for-2020 Sonata was only 142 units behind last year’s figure, which practically amounts to breaking even. Hard to do for any sedan.
“Achieving an overall sales increase despite the ongoing pandemic is a tremendous accomplishment and speaks to the depth and quality of our product lineup and resiliency of our dealers,” said Randy Parker, Hyundai Motor America’s vice president of national sales, adding that inventory levels are stable.
[Image: Hyundai]
If you’re making the right product for the right price I guess people are still buying. Hyundai/Kia make some decent crossovers at good prices, so I’m not that surprised
Hyundai and Kia have excellent product/value. Nearly complete lineup of vehicles. Everything except pickup trucks, muscle cars, convertibles and commercial vehicles.
And a 10 year warranty.
They have commercial vehicles. Not in the U.S., but they have ’em. They’d be crazy to engineer a convertible for that miniature segment. Beyond the Big 3 (really, just Dodge), who’s making muscle cars?
The upcoming Santa Cruz is apparently their truck entrant. We’ll see how it does in sales.
Both Hyundai and Kia are developing a proper BoF pick-up, and likely corresponding SUVs, but
it remains to be seen if they will be made available in the US.
Hyundai’s incentive spending relative to ATP is now among the lowest in the industry, on par with Honda.
I don’t want to say that the Palisade and Telluride are objectively the greatest vehicles of all time.
But I don’t want to be a liar either.
Are we including the Lincoln Blackwood in that all-time comparison? Thinks… oh, I suppose we are.
ToolGuy-
Why are we comparing a vehicle that costs over double what those Hyundai’s cost?
Oh-I get it :)
Also helpful for sales: Making great vehicles. Perhaps Mitsubishi could do a study on this radical theory.
Funny. When I first saw the article about 2-3 hours ago I thought to myself..Great now I have to wait and read about how many folks hate H/K and how overrated they are. How they are so over priced and may look nice now but will fall apart.
I for one dont think they make the very best products however I do think that they are very competitive.
“What *plandemic”
Fixed
The same plandemic that they have a resurgence of scheduled for this fall.
Yep, you two geniuses got it all figured out. The whole world got sick just to stick it to you, Beavis and Butthead
@Lie2me, Jealous, huh?
Besides it ain’t too difficult to figure out something is more than a bit screwy about the whole thing. But, you will need a mask to keep the sand out of your nose with your head buried in the sand like that.
Why is it these days that anyone who doesn’t agree with most common view is vilified? It’s really getting old. And always was childish.
The “common view” is the sky is blue, water is wet, seatbelts save lives and smoking leads to cancer
If you want to go against the “common view” you run the risk of looking ill-informed and uneducated, but you do you, I just hope no one you love gets sick with the scam
I’ll not have you sullying Beavis and Butt-Head with this nonsense. (Incidentally, they are coming back…on Comedy Central as adults with Zoomer kids). I can’t wait. Mike Judge is a genius.
Sales of the Palisade have increased Hyundai’s overall ATP by almost 11%; also helped by the Sonata having the highest ATP in its segment and that’s despite not having the higher priced hybrid and N-Line variants.
2nd month in a row where it has outsold the Telluride by nearly a 2:1 margin; Telluride sales being crimped due to a lack of supply arising from the change-over to the 2021MY.
With a heavily refreshed Santa Fe, new Tucson and the Santa Cruz on the way, Hyundai should he well positioned for continued sales growth.
There is nothing more satisfying than to drive a fine Hyundai in sunny day after lunch in upscale French restaurant.
I know many former Bentley owners that now drive Hyundais. The luxury experience is about equal (and possibly better in the case of the Palisade Limited).
Us Rolls Royce guys could just kick ourselves knowing that we could have had a Kia
Gentlemen prefer Kia.
“I know many former Bentley owners that now drive Hyundais”
My daddy told me: “Son, always, always diversify, never ever put all your eggs in one basket”.
@Lie2me,
“The “common view” is the sky is blue…”
Thank you for proving my point. It’s a good thing you weren’t Christopher Columbus’ advisor.
And, I hope that no one near you gets sick, too
“Thank you for proving my point.”
I have no idea what that is, but you have a good day, wear your mask and keep your blood pressure down :)
@Lie2me,
“I have no idea what that is” That, I believe. Figuring out the point is left as an exercise for the student:-)
The point could be that, historically, the popular point of view has quite often turned out not to be true. But, suggest that in the heat of the moment and: watch out. The majority of the people go blindly whither the “authorities” tell them the “scientists” (in olden times referred to as the “priests”) tell them to go. This despite the fact that history has shown again and again that much of the “official” information is disinformation. Truth is banned by a (very) noisy and violent minority in 2020 as it was in the McCarthy era. I guess one sleeps better at night if one believes…
Thanks for the word salad. Jumping off a bridge might kill you, but feel free to prove me wrong
@Lie2me,
“Fornicate the penguin.” Quick, what is the source of this quote?